SAT Preparation Tips

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test

Overview

The SAT is a standard college entrance exam that measures skills in math, reading, and writing.

Scholastic Aptitude Test Prep For Canadian Students

The Scholastic Aptitude Test is written and administered by College Board. It is developed, published, and scored by ETS, the Educational Testing Service. The Reasoning Test has three sections which as Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. The scores on each of the sections ranges from 200 to 800 points. Each scores is always a multiple of 10. The Essay is scored 1-6 with six being the best score possible. If you are focused in your exam preparation process, you will increase your chances of having a better understanding of the study material and in turn you will perform better during the actual exam itself.

If you’re a student from Canada looking to apply to schools in the States, your high school may not have the same resources as those in the USA to ready for the SATs. Not to fear – there are SAT Preparation programs in Canada that will help prepare you for the test, so be sure to look into those.

Get to Know the Scholastic Aptitude Test
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About the SAT

The first section is always a written essay, which takes 25 minutes, and the last section is always a multiple-choice writing section, which takes 10 minutes. The other parts of the test—six 25-minute sections and two 20-minute sections—can appear in any order. One of the 25-minute sections (you won't know which) will not count toward your score; it is used to try out questions for future exams. Total test time is 3 hours and 45 minutes.

The Critical Reading sections present you with reading comprehension questions about full-length and paragraph-length passages. They also include sentence completions.

The Writing sections include multiple-choice questions on grammar, usage, word choice, and organization. The essay section asks you to respond to a prompt by developing a point of view supported by clear, well-organized ideas based on your experience and observations.

The Math sections include multiple-choice questions and grid-in questions, which require you to generate a response. Topics include: numbers and operations; algebra and functions; geometry and measurement; and statistics, probability, and data analysis.

Scoring

Each section (Critical Reading, Writing, and Math) is scored on a scale of 200 to 800. Essays, a sub-section of Writing, are graded on a scale of 2 to 12.

Need-to-Know Tips and Strategies for the SAT

Prepare with a Practice Test
Practice tests are an ideal way to begin your preparation. They’re affordable and will give you instant results to see how you might score if the test were today. You’ll learn your strengths and weakness, and be able to develop a personalized study plan. Try prepping with Peterson’s practice tests for the exam.

Don't cram. You are being tested on knowledge that you have accumulated over the course of the year. Studying at the last minute will only stress you out. Go to a movie or hang out with a friend—anything to get your mind off of the test!

Critical Reading: Sentence Completions

Sentence completions test both your vocabulary and your understanding of the logic of a sentence. Each question is a sentence containing either one or two blanks. Your job is to figure out which answer correctly completes the sentence. As you read, try to predict what word should go in each blank. Sometimes you can guess the meaning of one blank, but not the other. In that case, scan the answer choices, look for a word similar to the one you've predicted, and then eliminate the answer choices that don't match up.

Critical Reading: Reading Comprehension

The Critical Reading test now includes both long and short reading passages. Skim each passage to see what it's about. Don't worry about the details—you can always look them up later if you need to. Just look for the main ideas. Then tackle the questions that direct you straight to the answer by referring you to a specific line in the passage. If you have time afterward, you can try solving the harder questions.

Writing: Multiple-Choice Questions

There are three types of multiple-choice writing questions on the SAT. The first group, Improving Sentences, tasks you with selecting the correct version—the one that is clearly written and grammatically correct—of an underlined portion of a sentence. Sentence Error questions ask you to figure out which part of a sentence contains an error. Those on Improving Paragraphs test your ability to organize and clarify information. For all of these question types, think about the simplest, clearest way to express an idea. If an answer choice sounds awkward or overly complicated, chances are good that it's wrong.

Writing: Essay

You will be given an open-ended essay prompt (topic) that asks you to state a viewpoint and support it. Essays are scored holistically, which means that the final score is based on an overall impression. It is important to develop your ideas and express them clearly, using examples to back them up. Your essay does not have to be grammatically perfect, but it does have to be focused and organized. The standard five-paragraph essay can be an effective way to make your point.

Math: Multiple-Choice Questions

As you work through the multiple-choice math questions, you'll be given reference information (formulas and facts), but you'll need to know how to use them. You're allowed to use a calculator, but it won't help you unless you know how to approach the problems. If you're stuck, try substituting numbers for variables. You can also try plugging in numbers from the answer choices. Start with the middle number. That way, if it doesn't work, you can strategically choose one that's higher or lower.

Math: Grid-Ins

These questions are not multiple-choice - you come up with an answer and fill it into a grid. The grid does not contain a minus sign, so there is no way to indicate that a value is less than zero. That means that an answer can't be a negative number. Unlike the multiple-choice questions, you won't be penalized for wrong answers, so make your best guess even if you're not sure. You can't grid mixed numbers, so if you get a mixed number as an answer, you'll have to convert it to an improper fraction or a decimal.

Helpful Articles for the SAT

These additional articles on Petersons.com will give you even more advice about preparing for the SAT.
Find the Right Approach to Test Prep
The Scholastic Aptitude Test: What's What?
Taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test

*The Scholastic Aptitude Test is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.